Sheet-metal end structure



Judy 21, M25.

Original Filed Oct. 1, 1920 N. C. THALHEIMER SHEET METAL END STRUCTURE 2$heets-$heet 1 m y m a L *2 {E 0 0 Q I 0 E} July 21, 1925a N. C.THALHEIMER SHEET METAL END STRUCTURE Original Filed Oct. 1, 1920 2Shams-Sheep 2 Patent ed July 2 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NICHOLAS C. THALHEIMER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A SSIGNOR TO WALTER I.MURPHY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SHEET-METAL END STRUCTURE.

Application filed Octobergl, 1920, Serial No. 413,966. Renewed June 9,1922. Serial No. 567,125.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, NICHOLAS C. THAL- imIMER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, re

siding at Chicago, in the county'of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Sheet-Metal End Structures, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in end structures for railwaycars and more particularly to sheet metal ends for freight cars.

The end of a freight car is subject to very severe shocks and stresseson account of the tendency of the cargo to shift when the train startsand stops and in switching and also to the tendency of thesuperstructure of the car to weave while the train is in motion. Tostrengthen this type of car, ends have been constructed of one or moresheets or panels of metal, usually steel,

which sheets or panels are formed with corrugations for rigidifying thestructure 2 to more readily meet impacts from without,

strains from weaving.

It is the object of this invention to provide an end of the sheet metaltype which is adaptable to either Wooden car frames or all metal freightcars and that may be employed for strengthening gondola cars, box cars,or other similar cars. It is a further object of this invention toprovide the sheets or panels of the end with corrugations of particularcontour that from their form and duration are peculiarly adapted to meetthe stresses and strains already described. While the corrugations arepreferably formed parallel, their relation to each other or theirdirection is immaterial, likewise the corrugations may be all pressedfrom one side of the sheet of metal or may be formed from oppositesides, as desired.

While the preferred form of this invention is illustrated upon theaccompanying sheets of drawings, yet it is to be understood that minordetail chan es may be made without departing from t e scope thereof.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in end elevation of a box car illustrating anembodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is a view in horizontal section cargo thrusts from within, andthe racking through the end taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1,illustratingthe attachment of the 6 end to a car having a wooden frame.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail view in vertical section taken on the,line 33 of Figure 2.-

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view in verview taken on the line 7-7 ofFigure 6.

looking in the direction of the arrows, with the parts beyond the lineshown partly in perspective and partly in section. p y

The box-car end, as illustrated, comprises two or more sheets or panels1, preferably of pressed .steel, which are attached tothe corner posts,end plate and end sill in the usual manner. Figure 2 illustrates a meansof attaching the panels to a wooden corner post 2 by flanging the endsof the panel and so securing the flanges to the post.

A plurality of parallel strengthening corrugations are formed in eachpanel 1 which merge at their ends into the lane of the panel so that thepanel has a portion about its edges.

In the form of the invention illustrated, the corrugations orstrengthening ribs are all pressed from the same side of the metalsheet, as shown in Figure 2. At the center the corrugatlons arecontinuous and similar comprising main walls 3 forming substan-' tiallysimilar oppositely disposed angles to the perpendicular to the plane ofthe panel joined by substantially equal connecting portions 4 and 5 withthe portions on the same side of neutral axis lying, in cross section,

, in a plane parallel to the plane of the panel.

The depth of the corrugations constan y decreases from center to ends,as shown in Figure 2. As shown in Figures 3, 4 and 5, as depth decreasesconstantly the main walls 3 decrease constantly in height and area perunit length whilethe outer connectin portions 4 constantly increase inwidth an area per unit length with the other connecting at marginal 85portions 5 constantly decreasin proportionately until the main Walls anconnect-- ing portions merge into the plane of the panel forming a fiatmargin adjacent the end1 pf the panel, as shown in Figures 6 an Whilethe connecting portions 4, of in-- creasing width and decreasing depth,are shown as formed on the exterior surface of the anel, their relationto the connecting portlons 5, of decreasing width and decreasmg depth,may be reversed when the cor- 'rugations or ribs are pressed from thesame side of the metal sheet Without departing from the spirit of thisinvention.

In this construction the amout of metal disposed at a distance from,and, 'on one side of, the neutral axis decreases constantly from ends tocenter and on the other side increases proportionately, and, inpressing, the amount of stretch of the metalincreases proportionately tothe constantly increasing depth of the corrugations from ends to center.Since in a corrugation of uniform contour throughout the strengthincreases in proportion to the square of the depth, the

\ varying proportions or contour of the ribs tions, asshown, to whichthe wooden lining is nailed.

What I claim is:

1. A metal panel for car ends having a plurality of corrugations thereinformed with main walls of constantly decreasing area per unit lengthfrom center to ends, and portions connecting said main Walls some ofwhich constantly decrease in width from center to ends.

2. A metal panel for car ends having a plurality of corrugations thereinformed with main Walls of decreasing area per unit length from center toends, and portions connecting said main walls, a number of whichincrease in area per unit length from center to ends and a number ofwhich decrease in area per unit length from center to ends.

3. Ametal panel for car ends having a plurality of corrugations thereinformed with main Walls of constantly decreasing width from center toends, and portions al- 'ternately connecting the outer and inner ends ofsaid main walls, with the alternating NICHOLAS C. THALHEIMER.

